


Waiter

by Illnoira666 (Erin330)



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Quick Burn, Strangers to Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:53:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29134371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erin330/pseuds/Illnoira666
Summary: Mika Hakkinen is just a waiter in Cologne, working there to gather up money for his little brother's big dream of becoming a Formula One driver after his own dream snapped after a bad relationship. Then, he unexpectedly meets Michael Schumacher, and finds himself in a wild ride.(I don't know how long this one's gonna be, but it might take a while.)
Relationships: David Coulthard & Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine & Michael Schumacher, Michael Schumacher & Ralf Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen & Kimi Räikkönen, Mika Häkkinen/Michael Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen/Mika Salo
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	1. Meeting

He was kinda a nobody, just a man waiting cafe and restaurant tables at various locations in the city of Cologne.

He held 3 part-time jobs at 3 different places in the city, whichever paid best. Hey, he had to pay his rent and send some over his family in Finland so they could finance his baby brother’s racing career.

Little Kimi was just in karts, but the guy knew he wanted to go into Formula One one day. It was an amazing dream for him, but it took the entire family; his parents, Nina and himself, to finance everything. But they were prepared to do it.

Mika sincerely hoped his baby brother would get there in the end.

Today, it was a very easy day at The Mandela. There had only been a couple of customers at the same time, so he’d send some staff away. It was just him and Jenny, a local girl.

“I’m going for a smoke. Can you handle it alone?”

The Finn looked into the restaurant, and there was only one man sitting there, staring out of the window. As if he was waiting for someone. “It doesn’t look busy. I’m sure I can handle it.”

Jenny nodded and left to go smoke her cigarette

The platinum blonde just cleaned the bar and tables. It was the only thing left to do without a lot of customers. There were some left-over coffee cups from people who’d left already.

The front door opened, and a young blonde girl entered. “Hi Michael, why did you want to meet me in this backwater place?”

Mika frowned at that as he put down the dishes and took a better look at her.

She appeared normal, but her attitude was icky.

“Just sit down, will you?” the man at the window groaned. He was irritated with her.

This particular girl reminded the waiter of his own ex, which made him glad he left his hometown near Helsinki. That ex was bossy too, but luckily that guy had relocated to Estonia.

The Finn started washing the cups and kept an eye on the pair.

“You still haven’t told me why I’m here. Because I know you wouldn’t take me on a date to these kinds of places.” the woman said. “This is too simple, even for you.”

The platinum blonde rolled his eyes and heard the other man sigh.

“You cheated on me again, Corinna.”

“No, I didn’t.”

The dark blonde man placed pictures on the table, which obviously shocked the woman.

“You had me followed?!” she, Corinna, sounded livid.

The man’s eyes narrowed. “You had the guts to cheat on me before. Then you promised you wouldn’t see him again, but you went back, over and over again. You never gave me a reason to trust you. This relationship was a mistake, you clearly want your ex, not me. Goodbye, Corinna.”

The blondine sat frozen in her seat, and then slowly retreated.

The man, Michael, stayed at the table.

Mika slowly approached him. “Are you okay, sir?”

Michael turned around. “I hope I will be.” he sighed. “I wasted two years of my life trying to be with her, and she used me to get back at her ex. I can’t believe my own stupidity.” he placed his face in his hands.

“Love makes us do stupid things.” the Finn told.

“Personal experience?” the man sounded local.

“I’ve seen my friends do incredibly embarrassing things for the girls and boys they loved.” the waiter replied. “And I myself was stupid to think that someone like my ex would want to marry another man.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

The waiter smiled. “It’s all fine now.”

Michael held out his hand. “I’m Michael, Michael Schumacher.”

“Mika Häkkinen.” Mika said as he shook the hand. “Can I perhaps give you another drink?”

The German looked at his coffee cup. “Just one strong whiskey on the rocks. Then I’ll be going home.”

“Good choice.” and the waiter took the cup with him.

* * *

His dinner shift was at The Arbiter, located at the west bank of the Rhine river flowing through the heart of the city. The place itself wasn’t high end, but very much directed at the higher middle class.

It was pretty busy, but not busier than any other nice late summer evening.

A couple approached him as he was standing

“Good evening and welcome to The Arbiter. Can I help you?” the Finn asked as a couple approached him.

“We reserved a spot for tonight.” the man told. “It’s a table for 4, under the name Schumacher.”

The waiter checked the list. “Ah yes, I see you here. This way please.” and he grabbed 4 menus before leading them to their table. “Please, be seated.” and he placed the menus on the table. “Will the other guests be here soon?”

“Our oldest son has picked our youngest son up from the airport, they should be here shortly.” the woman told with a polite smile.

Mika nodded. “Can I start you off with a drink?”

“A bottle of red wine of the house, please.” the man replied.

“I’ll be back shortly.” the Finn said as he wrote the order down. Then, he went over to the bar to collect the bottle of wine as well as a bucket of ice. To him, waiting tables never got boring. You always heard people’s stories when they were in a good mood, and he’d gotten great in cheering people up.

He put the wine on the table. “Do you want some water?”

“That would be nice.” the woman replied.

“Still or with bubbles?”

“Still water please.”

The platinum blonde nodded. “Yes ma’am.” and he went to get the water.

When he went back out, he saw a familiar face.

It was the man whom he’d met at the Mandela that morning, who had arrived with a man who looked similar to him, and they sat down at the table of the couple he was serving who was waiting for their sons.

Mika realized he was going to be the man’s server again, and it was likely to be awkward, but this was his job. And he’d served the same people at multiple establishments before. He just went to the table and put the water down. “You can sign at me if you wish to order.”

“Thank you.” the oldest Schumacher man said and turned to his two boys.

The waiter quickly went back into the restaurant to serve some of his other customers while the family outside was taking their time to order. After he took another table’s order, he saw Michael inside. “Are you guys ready to order?”

“Not yet.” Michael replied. “I didn’t know you worked here too.”

“I work in three establishments.” the Finn told.

The dirty blonde blinked. “ _Three_?”

“Well, bills aren’t paying themselves.” Mika sighed. “And I’m trying to help my little brother pay for his dream to become a Formula One driver.”

The German smiled. “That’s very admirable. I’ve heard it’s pretty expensive to get there.”

“It’s not easy, but I want him to reach the dream I never pushed enough for.”

That took the other man slightly aback. “You’d wanted to go into Formula One?”

“Once upon a time.” the platinum blonde replied. “I wish I’d followed it, but I guess we all make some mistakes that we regret later in life.”

Michael smiled sadly. “I’m sorry to hear that. When will you be at The Mandela again?”

“The rest of next week par Sunday, then I’ll be working at The Ravazza.”

“Ah, I know that place. Some of my cousins visit that place often on race Sundays.” the German told. He looked back outside. “By the way, where’s the toilet?”

Mika pointed to his right. “If you go that way, you’ll find a route with signs to direct you.”

“Thanks.” and the dirty blonde went into that direction.

_‘Well, at least the interaction wasn’t awkward.’_ and the server went back to his work.

* * *

Michael returned to The Mandela when he knew Mika would be working there. He liked seeing the Finn, as he was a breath of fresh air from his hectic racing career.

The cafe was located in east Cologne, in..., far away from the people that recognized him.

Mika hadn't seemed to recognize him, nor his name, and that was good.

“Welcome back.” the Finn said to him while cleaning up a table that had been used. “Where would you want to sit?”

“I’ll sit at the bar.” the Benetton driver said with a smile. “Not that many people today?”

“Today it’s usually people from this neighbourhood, on Saturdays though it’s particularly busy in the evening because of the dance nights.”

“Could be fun though. the dirty blonde said as he sat down on a bar stool.

“It is fun. Especially when a lot of people start flirting with you when they're drunk.” the waiter told. “It’s flattering, really. But most aren’t my type to be honest.”

“Do you have a type?” the German asked.

The platinum blonde thought for a minute. “Well, let’s say I just want a man who won’t cheat on me. Especially not with a reason like ‘finding his manliness again’.”

“Your ex cheated on you with that reason?” Michael was flabbergasted, as well as absolutely horrified. “That must’ve made you feel horrible!”

“I think I might’ve been a little depressed after that, yeah.” the Finn told.

The F1 driver looked down on the wooden counter to see if he’d spilled anything. Nope. “Clearly that ex of yours was a dickhead that doesn’t understand that being gay or bisexual doesn’t make you less of a man.”

Mika smiled. “I’m glad you believe that.”

“It’s common human sense.” the German sipped his coffee. “But did you know that around ninety five percent of anti-gay activists are themselves very much gay?”

The platinum blonde smiled brightly at hearing that.

It gave the one-time champion a fluttering feeling in his lower stomach, like butterflies. He had to admit that Mika was different kind of handsome, but he was slightly scared because he had never felt that way before about another man... and homophobia was sadly very strong in motorsport.

“I’ll be away for a bit. I have to go to Portugal for my work, it’ll be about five days.” Michael told.

“I heard Portugal is very beautiful during this time of the year.” the waiter said as he cleaned the cups of other patrons. “What do you do?”

“Well, I travel with the Formula One circus.” the Benetton driver told.

That's when Mika raised an eyebrow. “Formula One? Goddamn, my ex might be in there.”

“Who’s your ex then?” the dirty blonde asked. If it was one of his fellow drivers...

The Finn bit his lip. “Mika Salo.”

“Yeah, he’s in the paddock alright.” Michael said. “In a bloody Tyrell.”

“Doesn’t sound good.”

“He’s a backmarker.” the German took another sip of his coffee. “I may have lapped him a couple times this year.”

The waiter blinked. “You're a driver too? And here I believed that all Formula One drivers were first class assholes.”

“Salo does not represent all of us.” Schumi stated. “Some of us are actual human beings. And it truly disgusts me that there are drivers like Salo around. But he wasn’t my best friend before anyway.”

The Finn raised his eyebrow. “Did you have a problem with him too?”

“He almost cost me a win this year.” the F1 driver replied, mumbling. “In France. I was trying to lap him, and he blocked me while I had Hill right behind me! I just wanted to go and punch him after the race was over, but my teammate stopped me.”

Mika smiled. “I would’ve loved to see you punch him, even if I didn’t know you back then.”

“Knowing this now, I might punch him when he’s being an asshole again.”

“You don’t have to.” the platinum blonde said.

Michael just smirked. “You’re my friend now. And I think it’s appropriate after he’s been such an asshole to you.” he sipped his coffee again. “Can you make me an Italian coffee after this one? I’m on foot, so don’t worry about me drinking and driving.”

“Of course.”

* * *

The Ravazza was a sports café but served various alcoholic beverages that weren’t cheap.

The Portuguese Grand Prix was on, and there was extensive footage of the German drivers.

Which included Michael.

Mika laughed at the fact that his ex was starting from 15th, in the midfield, while his new friend was in 3rd.

And during the race, Salo was lapped twice.

Apparently, he’d been smiling a lot. And one of his colleagues noticed his happier mood.

“You’re not usually this chirpy.” that colleague, Jason, stated. “Is there some mystery man none of us knows about? Because I know that smile that you have on your face.”

The platinum blonde laughed. “Not in the context you’re implying. But yes, I have met someone new.”

“Oh, he really must be something special then.” the man with African descent said, smiling.

“I think he is.” the Finn bit his lip. “But I don’t know if he even likes men. I mean, I only know he had a girlfriend he recently broke up with. It’s hard to tell sometimes if they could be attracted to you.”

Jason huffed. “Tell me something. I can’t tell whether women like me or not.”

“Guess everyone has that at least once in their lifetime.” Mika then looked at the screen where the race was being shown.

The 1st pitstop sequence was unfolding.

“I didn’t know you watched Formula One.” his only male co-worker of the day said.

“Not very often.” the foreigner stated as he got a new order ready. “If it’s on, I’ll watch.”

The dark-skinned man smiled. “It’s on every race Sunday. This whole city is very much a hardcore fan of Michael Schumacher. He’s trying to get his second World Championship.”

The Finn nudged his head to the side. “How old is he?”

“Turned twenty-six last January.” Jason replied. “Why you’re asking?”

“I just heard World Champions are usually a bit older, closer near their thirties.” the platinum blonde replied. “Turns out he’s just four months younger than me.”

“Then your birthday must be pretty much nearby?”

Mika nodded. “It’s next Thursday.”

The man of African descent smiled. “Well, early congratulations then. You’re not working that day, right?”

“Nope. I’m free.” the Finn told. “I’m probably gonna call my family, and I guess I should be expecting some packages to arrive Thursday.”

“Well, I hope you get some nice presents.” the dark-haired man stated. “And not just socks.”

That made the blonde laugh.

* * *

Michael returned to The Mandela on Tuesday.

He was extremely happy with the result of getting 2nd in Portugal. From Thursday onwards, he’d be camped up at the Nürburgring, and he was planning to ask Mika to join him there. He liked to have someone around him to talk to during such a weekend.

He was on home soil, so it would turn out to be pretty stressful. His fans expected him to win.

His friend stood behind the bar once more, preparing a pair of drinks for a couple sitting near the window. The other man gave him a look of acknowledgement before stepping out behind the bar to serve the couple their drinks.

The Formula 1 driver just slipped into the bar stool. He could only hope he hadn’t been recognized by anyone currently out on the streets, or the rumours would fly about why he was in east Cologne… and they were very likely to be about his love life ever since his now ex-girlfriend had gone back to her ex… who was also one of his rivals in the sport.

“I didn’t think I’d see you so soon again.” stated the Finn as he went back behind the bar. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Just a coke, please.” Schumi replied. “I think I might be getting attached to this place.”

“Then I certainly hope to see you again.” Mika said with a brilliant smile as he dove for a bottle of coke, giving the dirty blonde a pretty good view of his ass.

The Benetton driver pulled on his collar. He suddenly felt very warm inside, he just decided to remove his jacket and put that jacket on the stool next to him.

“Here you go.” the waiter said, putting the bottle on the bar along with a clear, small, high glass. “Would you like some ice? And how was Portugal?”

“Nah, no ice. And it was pretty good.” Michael said before taking a sip. “I think I can definitely win this year. Did you watch?”

The platinum blonde nodded. “It was on at the Ravazza last Sunday.”

“Would you perhaps like to join me in the paddock for this weekend?” the F1 driver slowly asked.

The Finn blinked and looked like he was slightly taken aback.  
“Of course, only if you want to…”

“I’m… just very surprised that you would even consider asking me.” Mika replied as he dried a glass with a towel. “We’ve only known each other for what? Just a week?”

“You just work very hard, and I think you deserve a break from everything.” the dirty blonde replied. “And well, I do consider you as a friend. Can’t say that about too many people after my break-up with Corinna was announced.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” the waiter said, the sadness apparent in his eyes.

Schumacher shrugged. “It’s fine. Nothing I didn’t quite expect from them.”

“Guess they were never your friends, then?”

“Apparently not.” and Michael drank even more of his drink. “Are you coming with me?”

“When’s the next race?” the platinum blonde asked.

“This weekend.” the Benetton driver replied. “It’s just an hour traveling south, we’re racing at the Nürburgring upcoming Sunday.”

Mika smiled. “That’s… pretty perfect. When are we leaving?”

Schumi leaned forward. “How does Thursday sound to you?”

The Finn gave his friend a look. “Did you know that’s my birthday?”

“Nope.” Michael replied, and smiled. “That makes it even more perfect.”

“It does.”

“So, what’s your address?” the F1 driver asked. “Kinda need to know that when I pick you up.”

The platinum blonde took a pen from his breast pocket and wrote down the address of his apartment down on a little piece of paper that came from an old bill. “Here you go.”

“Alright. I’ll see you Thursday morning.”


	2. Falling & Feelings

Mika was sort of sweating on the morning Michael would come to pick him up.

He still couldn’t quite believe that that was happening. He was just a man with the simple job of being a waiter or barman, he didn’t even have a college or university diploma. There was nothing really that he could offer a man like Michael, who had nearly everything life could give you, only his companionship.

What made matters slightly worse, is that he felt attracted to the German racer. And it wasn’t just a light and innocent celebrity crush that you sometimes have. It felt like an ‘I-want-to-marry-you-and-have-babies-with-you’ type of crush.

His suitcase was ready, and he was basically waiting for Michael to ring the bell.

“Just quit thinking Mika, you’re overthinking the situation.” the Finn murmured to himself as he was sitting on the couch. He took a deep breath. “It’s gonna be just fine. This won’t be another Salo situation.”

Then, the bell rang.

The platinum blonde’s heart jumped as he clenched the handle of his suitcase. “Right. Here goes nothing.” and he went downstairs to the hallway of the apartment building to open up the door.

There Michael was, waving from the driver’s side of his silver Mercedes.

The waiter waved back and left his building. He’d called his family the day before, as well as the postal office to keep behind the packages for when he returned from his little trip on Monday.

“Happy birthday Mika.” the F1 racer said with a large smile, hugging his friend.

“Thank you.” Mika said. “I’m really happy that you’re taking me with you to your home race.”

“You deserve to get out of here.” the Benetton driver said with a smirk. “Now let’s go and make your ex jealous that you’re now friends with a World Champion.”

The Finn could laugh at that joke and sat down in the passenger seat.

* * *

Of course, the hotels near the Nürburgring were booked full for the weekend.

Michael sighed. “Are you sure? And there’s no possibility to switch rooms?”

The woman at the reception desk shook her head. “I’m sorry mister Schumacher, I can’t change the way my managers have placed everyone.”

The racing driver looked at his friend. “I hope you’re not uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed?”

“Not at all.” the Finn replied. Internally, however, he was afraid of his body reacting to Michael being in such close proximity. He really didn’t want Michael to reject him.

“Guess that solves it then.” and the Ferrari driver took the key from the reception worker. “Thank you.”

“Would you want the bell boy to take up your and your friend’s bags for you?”

The German declined. “We’ve packed light, I’m sure we can do it ourselves. Thank you for the offer though.” and he grabbed his suitcase and Benetton branded sporting bag.

Their room was on the 4th floor of the hotel, where other people from his also had their rooms.

“I’m really glad that you don’t mind sharing a bed.” the one-time Champion stated.

“I’m more surprised you don’t have any objections to it.” the waiter said.

Michael raised an eyebrow. “Why would I object?”

“Most heterosexual men wouldn’t be very comfortable sleeping in the same bed with another man.” the platinum blonde replied. “Especially not this day and age, with HIV and stuff.”

The Benetton driver huffed. “I’m not a serophobe, nor am I ignorant. Even if you have HIV, you and I would have to share the same needle or have sex without a condom.”

Mika smiled. “I’m glad.”

“I just like to know a lot.” the driver stated.

Then, their lift stopped and they got out.

It was a pretty luxurious hotel, with nice carpet on the hallway floor and modern lights in the ceiling.

“Do you always get put in this kind of hotel?” the Finn asked, admiring the scenery.

“Whichever country we go, we always get put in the best hotels near the circuit.” Michael replied as he opened the door. “It’s nice at first, but you get used to it. And then you long for your own bed.”

“Well, I’m certainly gonna enjoy my first night in a hotel bed.” the platinum blonde belly-flopped on the made bed. “Soft…”

The German laughed and shook his head as he put their suitcases inside the room. “Well, this hotel has got room service. So, if you would like to order anything from their menu or take something from the mini bar, just do it. Cost’s on Benetton.”

Mika just put up his thumb as he acted asleep.

The Benetton driver was only standing a couple of meters away from the bed, but still, his companion’s ass was a prominent sight. And it still made him feel hot. He quickly turned his gaze away as he felt his cheeks redden. _‘Right… I’m still attracted.’_

* * *

Mika didn’t go to the paddock with his friend, since he was only going there for interviews and some press moments for Benetton. But he would go on Saturday and Sunday, to watch Michael perform at his best.

Today, he was content with being lazy and reading some of the magazines that were lying around.

Most of those he had been able to gather were typically men’s magazines, detailing the newest supercars, the most glamorous watches and the most stylish suits for the upcoming winter. It wasn’t exactly what he was interested in. And even if he was, he’d never be able to afford a single item.

After reading the magazines, he hopped into the shower and took a long, nice shower and used the hotel’s supplied shampoo and soap. He could probably never afford such luxury, so he would enjoy it while it lasted and hopefully cherish the memories.

Then, the Finn decided to order room service for dinner. As he was thinking about what Michael would perhaps like to eat, his eyes fell on a rib-eye steak with a cucumber salad and a portion of fries. He knew very few people who didn’t like steak.

So, he decided to order that.

* * *

With all the interviews and PR work done for the day, Michael was basically longing for a warm bath and a bed. He knew he was popular with the German media, but they asked way too many questions about his private life as well as his love life. It was their job to find out as much about him to release to the public, whether he said something about it or not.

And this time, a lot of those questions had been about his (not that) recent break-up with Corinna.

Now that was out, he was going to receive a lot of love letters from random girls all over the world who wanted him to marry them. He also suspected there would be some hopeful guys among those letters.

But first, maybe he should sort out his attraction to Mika.

The Benetton driver still didn’t know why he was suddenly attracted to a man. He couldn’t remember he’d felt attracted to any other man, although he couldn’t quite deny that his direct title rival Damon Hill was pretty damn handsome, and that young David Coulthard would perhaps attract quite a few admirers. But neither of them interested him as much as Mika Häkkinen.

As he stood in the lift, he sighed. Perhaps he should talk to his family once he was home, or at least with his mother. He didn’t think he was gay, he was still very much attracted to girls, and he wasn’t quite bisexual either, there hadn’t been any other boys that attracted him. He was so bloody confused.

When the lift opened on his floor, he got out and retrieved the key from his pocket to open the door.

And when the 1994 champion opened the hotel room door, he was greeted by the nice smell of steak.

There were 2 portions of steak with salad, and a single portion of fries with separate little cups of mayonnaise and ketchup on a trolly. Seemingly freshly made and brought up.

“Surprise!” Mika said, throwing up his arms. He was only dressed in a white hotel bathrobe and a pair of boxers. “Dinner just got served.”

“You made an excellent choice.” the dirty blonde said as he looked upon what stood on the trolly.

“Everyone I know likes steak.”

“Well, you can count me in among them!”

* * *

 _‘Crap. My ex is in the paddock.’_ Salo grumbled.

That ex, which he’d broken up with over 4 years ago, was now walking alongside one-time World Champion Michael Schumacher. He seemed happy, carefree, and it made him look beautiful.

The Tyrrell driver hoped that no one could see his face right now.

He knew he’d been a dick to his ex-boyfriend, and there were moments he regretted breaking up with him, but he couldn’t allow people to uncover he was attracted to men. Having a boyfriend anywhere on the globe could compromise him.

He still loved his younger name-companion, but there was no way they could reunite.

The older Finn grimaced. He didn’t quite like the way his ex was looking at Schumacher, but there was nothing he could do. They weren’t in any type of relationship, hadn’t been for some time.

Häkkinen was free to be with anyone he desired; he was after all a single gay man.

And perhaps there was someone out there who wanted to be openly gay with him and be a proper couple.

* * *

Very soon after he’d brought Mika back to his apartment in Cologne, he drove to his parents’ house in Hürth.

Michael knew his mother would be home, likely brewing coffee or tea for when his dad came home. He still had a key for the front door, mainly for cases of emergencies.

His mom seemed surprised to see him.

“Guess you didn’t expect to see me, huh?” the Benetton driver said, awkwardly laughing.

“That’s an understatement.” the middle-aged woman said, before turning back to her coffee maker.

The oldest son took a deep breath. “Mom, I think I need some advice.”

Elizabeth heard the urgency in her son's voice. “Of course, honey. Take a seat, I’ll get us a nice drink first.” She got two big mugs from a cabinet and poured steaming coffee in them. Then, she put them on the table. “What is it?”

The F1 driver let out a deep sigh. “I think I might be sexually confused at the moment.”

The mother of 2 blinked. “What are you confused about? Did someone unexpected catch your eye?”

“You could put it like that.” Michael said, wrapping his hands around the mug in front of him. “I told you about this new friend, right? The guy who waited our table when you two decided to celebrate your anniversary?”

“Yeah, you did.” the middle-aged woman put milk and sugar in her coffee. “What about him?”

“Mom... I think I might be sexually attracted to him.” it rolled off his tongue pretty easy. The 1994 champion would’ve thought he’d have more trouble saying it.

Elizabeth stared at her son. “That’s... unexpected but I’m sure Rolf will still love you.”

Michael was slightly confused. “Mom, what...?”

“It’s okay Michael. Nothing will change now you found out you love men too.”

Right. His mom thought he was coming out to her as bisexual. Well, at least she didn't think he was a freak for being suddenly in love with Mika.

“How did you know you loved dad?” the racing driver decided to ask.

“It always started with butterflies in my stomach. Oh, and I constantly wanted your dad to see me.”

* * *

Rolf thought it was a welcome surprise to see his oldest son home on Monday evening. Neither he or Beth saw their boys a lot, because their youngest was racing in Japan and their oldest was close to having his own life.

Maybe Michael wasn’t going to marry that soon after his break-up with Corinna, but he was 26 years of age. Boys and girls that age sought their own spot in the world.

And now it turned out that his oldest was also a lover of men.

He certainly knew what his father would’ve said about that, but that man was luckily no longer alive. He did fear for his son though.

Formula One was considered a masculine sport much like rugby. So, it was likely to think that there would be a couple of homophobes walking around somewhere... and certainly at the Italian team Michael had signed up for for 2 years.

“Just stay safe.” Rolf said.

“I’ll try my best, dad.” his oldest smiled at him.

The father hugged his son. He couldn’t help but worry that things could happen if Michael was going to date that guy he’d fallen in love with so very suddenly.


	3. Dating

After the Nürburgring, he had until the 17th that month before he would fly out to Japan for 2 races, one at TI and one at Suzuka. There was a large chance that he was going to grab his 2nd world title at one of those venues since Hill was 27 points behind.

On the 7th of October, Michael decided to take Mika out on what he called an ‘exploratory date’. He didn’t tell his companion that it was a date, he only hoped he would be able to find out if his attraction went beyond the physical realm.

He just took Mika to a regular but good restaurant, wearing a baseball hat the entire time they were there in order to sort of stay incognito in a public space. They wore casual clothes anyway.

“Thanks for taking me out.” the Finn said. “I’ve only ever worked in places like this.”

“I know.” the F1 driver stated. “You deserve a good night, just like you deserved that hotel experience.”

Their waiter soon came with the menus and their drinks.

“Would you want to go anywhere next?” the German asked. “A club perhaps?”

“Nah, I’m not really a person to go clubbing.” Mika replied. “I’d rather go to the cinema, or watch a theatre production, or even watch TV at home.”

The Benetton driver nodded. “You don’t like extremely loud places then?”

“Not really.” the platinum blonde replied. “I only went to a festival once, got out within the first hour. It just wasn’t my thing, friends I had at that time did continue the night there.”

Schumi leaned back. “I’ve never really tried out a festival. I’ve been pretty busy since I was six. First it was karting, then it was moving up to single-seaters, then Le Mans, and now Formula One. There wasn’t much room for me-time, plus I had to keep up some sort of image of a proper kid.”

“Did it suck?” the Finn asked before taking a sip of his drink.

“Sometimes.” Michael replied. “And the press still hounds me every day. Guess they think I don’t have a private life because I’m a celebrity.”

“I can’t imagine how it must be.”

“The only privacy I really have is my own home and my parents’ home.”

The waiter by profession winked at him. “You can have privacy in my apartment too.”

The ‘94 champion laughed. “Thank you.” he then looked down at his menu. “Let’s see what this place has got. I’m curious if they’ve got anything good.”

“I heard their reputation is pretty good.” Mika stated.

“Then I hope their food is too.” the German said, smiling from underneath his cap. “So, how old is your little brother?”

“Fifteen.” the Finn replied. “And I also have a sister. She’s two years older than me.”

Michael smiled. “I also have a little brother. He’s six years younger than me. He currently races in Japan, trying to make his way into Formula One as well.”

“Would you ever race in the same team with your brother?” the platinum blonde asked.

The F1 champion shrugged. “Unlikely, I think. We’re pretty damn competitive. It wouldn’t be good for our relationship if we became teammates too.”

“Me and Nina were never competitive, more like each other’s best friends and biggest fans. With Kimi though… I guess it’s a bit more different.”

The dirty blonde raised an eyebrow. “How come?”

The older man pursed his lips. “I think it’s the age difference. I’m eleven years older than him, I guess that’s the reason we haven’t really connected that well. I want to be a better brother for him, but it feels like we were born in totally different generations. It’s not that we don’t have a connection, I just know it can be much better.”

“I’m sure you can better your relationship with him. If anyone I know is able to do such a thing, it would be you, and I’ve only known you pretty shortly.”

Häkkinen smiled. “Thank you.”

The Benetton driver smiled, then turned his eyes back to the menu. “Why don’t we both go for a tomato soup first and keep our options open?”

“That’s a very good suggestion.” and Mika closed his menu. “I was still trying to make a choice between the salmon or the chicken breast.”

“Coincidentally, I was thinking the same.”

The pair laughed at that before their waiter came over and they made their order for tomato soup.

Michael leaned slightly forward. “Do you still remember the day we met?”

“I do.” the platinum blonde replied.

“I was actually pretty happy that I broke up with Corinna that day.” the F1 champion told. “I should’ve done it much earlier, but I guess it just never felt right until I forced myself to do it that day.”

“Your ex reminded me of my own.” the Finn confessed. “That’s literally the first thought I had when she commented on you meeting her there.”

“How did Corinna remind you of your previous boyfriend?” the dirty blonde asked, interested.

“Let’s just say… he was rather bossy, as well as the dominant personality.” Häkkinen replied. “I still can’t believe I gave up my dreams of becoming an F1 driver myself for him. That relationship… it was just too toxic. I hope you will never marry anyone like that.”

“Not planning to.” the Benetton driver said. He did feel sorry for the man in front of him, having sacrificed his dreams for a relationship. “I hope you find someone who’ll take good care of you. You really deserve someone who’ll be good to you.”

“Thank you, Michael. I appreciate that.”

* * *

The F1 champion was glad he took his friend on this exploratory date. He’d gotten to know the man much better, all about his parents and siblings, the nature of his break-up with Salo, him coming out to his parents and friends back in Finland, and his journey for a good-paying job anywhere in Europe.

He’d only ever read such stories in newspapers, never heard them in real life.

It made him realize that he could have a deep connection to Mika, but he had to open up more first.

Maybe he should call his friend a couple of times while he was gone and meet up again after the race at Adelaide. He’d have a pretty long break until he had to rush over to Maranello for a seat fitting into his new Ferrari and meet his teammate Eddie Irvine.

Hopefully, they’d connect better than he had with Johnny Herbert at the start of this year.

But first, maybe he should schedule one more ‘date’ before he left for Mimasaka.

* * *

Flavio raised his eyebrow.

Michael was on the hotel phone… again.

The almost champion had been calling non-stop almost. He was very distracted from the racing, even if his performances didn’t quite show that. He’d been 1st in the 1st practise session, 2nd in the 2nd practice, and had qualified 3rd with a 0.271-second gap to the pole sitter.

The German had called the same number, a landline in Cologne, twice. The first conversation on Thursday lasted an hour, the second one on Friday half an hour, and right now he had been on the phone for nearly 40 minutes already.

It was increasing the bill for the Benetton team significantly.

Perhaps there was a girl… that would certainly be an explanation for this new behaviour. Maybe he’d met a girl during the past three weeks and calling was the only way he could stay in contact with her.

The fact that he was smiling and laughing was also an indicator that he might be flirting with whoever was on the other side of the line. At least he was happy in his private life.

Briatore knew that drivers regularly had different girlfriends and even stole each other’s girlfriends. It wasn’t very unheard off in the world of Formula One, nor were frequent divorces. Not every woman could stand it that her husband was away for so many days per year. Formula One driver’s wives were a whole other breed from the regular wife.

* * *

Michael was kinda getting addicted to hearing Mika’s voice.

The phenomenon was only a confirmation of the built-up feelings, and it wasn’t going to stop soon.

The German knew it was _love_ that he felt, not _just lust_. His heart longed for the Finn, he wanted to wake up next to the other man, move his fingers through that thick looking platinum blonde hair, feel their bodies touching skin to skin and be held in those arms.

Yeah… he was definitely gay for Mika.

They do say that the right person will make you realize who you truly are because they want you to be the best version of yourself that you can ever be. And maybe it was true for him.

They couldn’t have biological children, but Mika had a sister and he himself had a brother that resembled him closely. Perhaps they could work something out there with IVF.

Schumi did want children, he’d known that for a couple of years. But he would have to ask Mika whether he wanted the same thing. If not, they probably weren’t compatible.

* * *

Michael was ecstatic after the race on Aido. Who wouldn't be after winning the title with 2 more races to go? He’d pretty much dominating the season, even if the Williams’ cars had threatened him here or there.

His team was basically partying the night away in his honour before everything would have to be packed up and shipped over to Suzuka for the race next week.

The German couldn't wait to be home after the Australian race. He wanted to see Mika again, maybe go on a more official date once he was able to express his feelings properly.

He could definitely take his hopefully-boyfriend-by-then to a Christmas market. Friends and couples went there together, no distinction was made. Hopefully, before that, he could make a move.

* * *

But that move would be made much sooner than originally planned.

At around 1 PM, Mika's phone rang.

Naturally, he picked up. “Mika Häkkinen speaking.”

 _“Ah, hi Mika.”_ the German was clearly drunk as he was slurring his words. _“I’m a double champ now, did ya see?”_

The platinum blonde smiled. “I did. I saw you win. You were amazing out there.”

_“Hihi. I’ve gotten a bit too drunk.”_

“You definitely sound drunk.” the Finn confirmed. He looked at his clock. “How much did you drink after your podium. It’s what? Nine at night in Suzuka? That’s a bit early to be drunk.”

 _“Too much whiskey and champagne.”_ Michael slurred.

The waiter by profession sat down on his couch. “I’m sure you didn’t call me just to say you were drunk and that you’re a double champion now.”

 _“Called to hear you.”_ the F1 driver said, noise in the background indicating he fell down on his hotel bedroom. _“Your very sexy voice...”_

Mika started blinking. _‘Did he really just say that?’_

 _“I’m pretty sure I can get off from listening to your voice.”_ the slurring filled with husk and became deeper. A zipper then opened. _“Ah! Mmmh... I’m already hard.”_

The platinum blonde felt blood rush down south, and he was getting hot. He was getting aroused quickly, especially while hearing the other man moan and make such delicious sounds.

The German sighed. _“I wish you were here with me. I would’ve undressed you and fucked you silly on these sheets. Mmmh... it would’ve made you look beautiful... all spread out for me.”_

Häkkinen bit his lip as he opened his pants to free his hardening cock. “Keep telling me what you want to do to me. I like you dominating me.”

 _“Oh yeah... I’d fuck you against the wall until our neighbours were getting crazy. I’d fuck you on the hood of your ex’s car, to show him you’re_ mine _!”_

The Finn shuddered in pleasure as the other man growled the word ‘mine’ so possessively. “Oh yeah, that’s hot.” he then moaned loudly as he was stroking his cock.

 _“I want to see all of you.”_ the double champion growled.

“Once you’re back here, I will undress for you, right in front of your eyes.” Mika promised.

Schumi let out an appreciating moan. _“Beautiful. I will enjoy the show you give me.”_

The slightly older man could already imagine the little striptease he was going to give.

On the other side of the line, Michael was grunting. _“Not gonna last long.”_

The platinum blonde purred. “If you want, I could also suck your cock when you get home. Imagine how filthy I would be with your cum in my face.”

The Benetton driver cried out as he came, the man he wanted as his lover not far behind.

The Finn couldn’t quite believe what had just happened, but the evidence was overly clear; he just had phone sex with the man he desired. His pants were open, his cock was out, his cum was all over his right hand and through the phone he heard Michael pant into his left ear.

It was... unbelievable.

 _“Gonna think of you in my shower.”_ that tone made Mika’s cock ready to go again.

“And I will think of you.” he put the phone back and hurried to his bedroom.

* * *

Michael grunted as he woke up. He had a massive headache because of his drunken stupor, and he definitely needed water and an aspirin. He didn’t want to drink as much again as he did last night.

He lost control.

The F1 driver rubbed his eyes. His actions had been stupid.

Why had he called Mika while drunk? How was he going to face his friend now after what happened? He was going to die of embarrassment. He was afraid of what Mika might think of him now.

He was a pervert, only wanting sex.

At least he remembered what he did. He had to apologize though, or at least tell Mika that he hadn’t planned it like that.

He just dialed the landline number.

His friend grumbled into the phone. _“Who’s calling this motherfucking early?”_

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize what time it was.” the Benetton driver panicked. This was obviously a bad moment, he should just hang up and call later at a better time.

 _“Oh, hi Michael.”_ the Finn’s voice softened. _“I hadn’t expected you to call before your arrival in Suzuka.”_

Schumi softly laughed, he was feeling the butterflies again. “I uh… just thought I should call because of last night. I… I was way too drunk, and I may have come across as a pervert.”

 _“I was surprised, yes.”_ the platinum blonde said. _“But I didn’t know you were interested in me like that.”_

“It uhm… wasn’t really supposed to come out like that.” the F1 driver said and sighed. “I actually wanted to go out with you a couple more times before uhm… telling you. I did however plan to make a move on you before Christmas if you were wondering.” he really didn’t know why he said that last part.

 _“I don’t mind that, sweetheart.”_ Häkkinen said, his voice even softer. _“Your presence in my life has made me much happier. I certainly wouldn’t mind sharing it in a more… intimate way with you.”_

Michael let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you think like that. I was… worried, shall I say, that you wouldn’t want to see me anymore after last night.”

 _“I won’t ever think about you as a pervert.”_ there was a sigh. _“I wish I could be with you right now.”_

Smiling, the Benetton driver laid down. “Yeah, I miss you too. I really want to hug you tight.”

 _“Is that the only thing you want to do to me?”_ Mika’s voice was getting huskier.

The double champion laughed. “Right now? I only want to hug. But maybe another time I’m way more in the mood for sex.”

_“Anything you want, sweetheart. I can wait for a gorgeous man like you.”_

* * *

There were 2 weeks between the race at Suzuka and the one at Adelaide, but Michael made the decision to go to the land Down Under the Monday after the race finished. There was something he had to do first before he could return to Germany, to Cologne, to his soon-to-be lover.

Testing himself for all STI’s.

He needed to know if he was clean, that a ruptured condom wouldn’t endanger Mika in any form. So, he went to the Adelaide Royal Hospital while staying in one of the top hotels. He had the money, and a little bit of luxury never harmed anyone.

The doctor who saw him was definitely a bit weirded out when he saw who his patient was whose blood sample he was going to take.

The German sighed. “Just take the blood, I don’t need everyone to know that you’re testing me on STI’s.”

“Care to tell why you’re letting us test you and not a doctor at the FIA?” the doctor asked as he wrote down some information. “And which infections do you want us to test you for?”

“All diseases you can test, including HIV please.” the F1 driver replied. “My last ex just kept cheating, I need to know if she infected me with something before I get a new partner.”

“Perfectly reasonable reasons, mister Schumacher. Let’s proceed.”

* * *

Flavio raised an eyebrow when the postman delivered a yellow envelope for Michael with the emblem of the Adelaide Royal Hospital on it. “You went to the hospital?”

“Yes.” Michael replied as he ripped the envelope open to get to the papers inside. He seemed relieved at whatever was on them and let out a pretty deep breath before slumping back into his chair.

The Italian managed to see the words ‘Sexual Transmitted Infections’ on top of the white paper. That kinda worried the team principal. “Are you okay?”

“Yep. Perfectly healthy.” and the driver put the paper down. “Didn’t catch any STI’s from Corinna.”

“Why would you get tested for that?” it kinda weirded Briatore out.

“Cuz she cheated around. I don’t know who the fuck she slept with, she could’ve caught HIV or Chlamydia and then transferred it to me when we had sex.” Schumacher replied. “And I wouldn’t want to unknowingly infect any future partner that I may have and fuck up both our lives.”

That the businessman could understand. “It’s good to hear you have nothing.”

“As am I, Flavio. As am I.” the German sighed.

* * *

Michael managed to get a hold of his soon-to-be lover after qualifying. “Hi, Mika. How are things over there in Cologne?”

_“The weather is typical for this time of year. Bloody damn cold.”_

The Benetton driver laughed. “Of course. How’s work?”

 _“Not being more of a pain in the ass than usual.”_ the Finn replied. _“Only got one single homophobic comment thrown my way this week. Apparently, my ‘walk’ was ‘too feminine’. What an idiot.”_

“First class idiot.” the double Champion said as he waved towards a couple of colleagues who were sitting in the lounge across from the hotel telephone booth. “But I can’t wait to get back.”

 _“I’m also missing you, sweetheart.”_ the platinum blonde stated. “ _I’m keeping my bed warm to receive you, my_ lovely World Champion _.”_ he was definitely purring.

“I’m definitely going to fuck you when I get there.” Schumi felt that his own voice was getting rather rough. He then bit his lip. “I… I wanted to ask you something before I go into the race tomorrow.”

_“Which is?”_

The dirty blonde went with his hand through his hair. “Mika… would you want to become my boyfriend?”

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the line before the other man could bring out a ‘yes’.

“Are you crying?”

 _“I am.”_ Häkkinen replied. _“But they’re tears of happiness, sweetheart.”_

Michael put his hand on his heart. “Good. I wouldn’t want you to cry any other type of tears.”


	4. My Boyfriend

Once Michael came home from Australia, he was completely over the moon. He couldn’t have dreamed up the sequence of events that had recently happened to him.

First, he became a 2-time World Champion, then he had unplanned and overly hot phone sex with the man he desired, the next day Mika had called to say he was waiting for him in Cologne to fulfill his promise, then at Suzuka Mika had called him again for a phone sex session, and in Australia, the German finally asked the older man to officially become his boyfriend which was accepted. And next year, he'd be at Ferrari.

It was unreal.

But first, a nice and relaxing winter break.

Schumi dropped all his bags off at his own house before going to Mika’s apartment.

This time around, his lover didn’t come down the stairs to open the door but pressed the button in his apartment so the German could get in.

The apartment itself was easy to find.

When Michael got to the 3rd floor, he saw that Mika’s door was slightly open. He pushed it open further to enter the apartment... and found a lovely surprise on the couch.

His boyfriend was stretched out on the couch, wearing a blue crop top and black tight pants.

Michael blinked. “Am I dreaming?”

The Finn got off the couch, kicked the door shut, and grabbed the other man’s shirt. Then, he pulled him in for a kiss. “And? Are you?”

“Definitely not. This is real.” then, the 2-time champion was pushed on the couch and Mika sat in his lap. He looked up in those ice-blue eyes and saw a whole lot of mischief.

Then, the platinum blonde got off of his lap and took a few steps back before showing off his ass to his newest lover while lightly biting his lower lip.

The German definitely liked to look at that ass.

Slowly, the older man removed his top to reveal how muscled his back actually was.

“You have way more muscle than I have.” the F1 driver didn’t mind. It made it more special that a man like that would bottom for him. His cock was taking interest in what was happening.

Mika stripped out of his pants and sat into his lover’s lap once more, grinding their crotches together.

Schumi moaned and threw his head back as his own hands cupped that ass.

“I have a plug inside of me.” the Finn revealed in a whisper.

Michael licked his lips. “Already counted on the fact that I would want to fuck you?”

“I did.” the platinum blonde replied, purring as his hands disappeared under his boyfriend’s shirt.

The F1 driver certainly didn’t mind a pair of hands touching him, though he did note the difference between a man’s touch and a woman’s touch.

“Will you follow me to the bedroom?”

The German let out a laugh. “You’re certainly not stalling your chances of getting fucked by an actual Formula One driver instead of that backmarker.”

“What can I say?” the slightly older man said. “I like my men faster.”

“Good.” and the two men went to the bedroom.

The remainder of their clothes was quickly shed.

Mika fell back on the bed, the weight of his lover on top of him as their mouths were clashing and cocks sliding together. He was likely to cum fast, he hadn’t had sex since his relationship with Salo had gone south. Today was his first time with a partner again.

“Got any condoms around?” Michael groaned.

“Top drawer, your right.” was the only thing the platinum blonde could bring out.

Schumi reached out to get a single condom from the drawer.

“My ass is all lubed up and stretched for you.” Häkkinen breathed, spreading his legs wider.

The F1 driver growled. “I’m pulling that thing right out of you.”

And he did.

The Finn suddenly felt rather empty but shivered as he heard the package of the condom tear.

The dirty blonde rolled the condom on quick.

Mika placed his knees on his new boyfriend’s shoulders, getting folded in half as that cock entered him. He only felt pleasure, no pain. He’d prepared himself perfectly.

“God fucking damnit.” Michael cursed. “You’re so bloody tight!”

The older man purred. “Don’t you like me being tight?”

“You’re goddamn right I do.” and he started to fuck his partner.

The platinum blonde didn’t know if his lover knew, but he was hitting his prostate. He was going pretty crazy because of the pleasure.

“I’m not gonna last long like this.” the F1 driver groaned.

“Nor am I.” Häkkinen let out a loud moan. “Oh god, you fuck just like you drive.”

They both came fast, lying in an embrace for what felt like an eternity.

The double Champion groaned. “I guess this is what you get when you don’t have sex for over half a year.”

“I can help you build up that stamina again.” the Finn purred.

“Not saying no there, Schatz.” and Michael kissed the man lying under him.

* * *

Todt wasn’t very surprised to hear that his star driver Michael Schumacher was donating a substantial part of his earnings to organizations who wanted to better the world. According to the German report translated into French he was reading, his driver was donating to various homeless shelters, orphanages, foreign projects to stimulate education for the children of poorer people... all very noble.

But... there was also going a couple of millions to the LGBT community in Cologne. At least, that’s what a certain journalist was stating in the article who said he'd gotten hold of some record.

As it was just a rumour, the Ferrari team principal decided to go and ask.

“Are you really donating to the LGBT community?”

The question was clearly a surprise to the German. “Where did you hear that?”

“An online article from Germany.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Can't anything stay private these days?” he grunted.

Jean blinked. “So... it’s true then?”

The double champ sighed. “Yeah, it is. So what?”

“I’m just... surprised.” the Frenchman replied. “Is there something we should know?”

“Not for the moment.” Schumacher replied.

Todt then raised an eyebrow. It was a bit suspicious to be honest.

To be generous to many organizations was one thing, but to donate to one that could perhaps spike a worldwide controversy... that was very tricky.

Not everyone agreed that LGBT individuals were even human, and that therefore they had rights.

Michael was donating a substantial portion, which alone wasn’t truly a problem... but Ferrari management might not like it.

“Just be aware that people might speculate. And I don’t know how the higher-ups are going to react.”

The German wove it away. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it, Italian homophobic blah blah blah. Geez, it’s just a donation so a good friend of mine might one day be able to walk the streets with his partner.”

At that, the Frenchman blinked, yet shrugged. “Alright. But I thought you should be aware of what other people can think. Even if you state it out loud, people might still think you’re uh… one of them.”

“It’ll be fine Jean.”

Just then, Ferrari’s second driver entered with a confused face. “Uh… is this the wrong time?”

“It’s nothing to worry about Eddie.” Schumacher said, waving the Northern Irishman over.

Irvine shrugged. “Alright.”

“Then I’ll let you two get to know each other.” and Todt left.

The former Jordan driver sat down. “Was that something I should also be aware of?”

“Oh, just the media going through my donations and speculating why I’m donating to certain charities.” the double Champion stated as he removed his sunglasses. “But how was your break?”


	5. Coming Out

_1996 - Italian Grand Prix of Monza_

Winning in a Ferrari at Monza gave Michael confidence for the next season, and it would be a boost for the entire team. They needed it.

The fans were ecstatic, as they finally saw their team win again at their circuit. The atmosphere was phenomenal, it almost felt like winning your home race.

The German was there on the podium, flanked by Alesi and Andretti. It felt good to stand there in red.

When the champagne could be opened, Michael decided to leave the bottle and trophy on stage for his engineer to take with him, he had something much more important to do. He ran downstairs to ground level and made his way to where he knew Mika would be waiting for him, followed around by the cameras.

The platinum blonde was obviously confused as to why his secret boyfriend was running at him so publicly, but that confusion was quickly turned into surprise when familiar lips kissed him so hard. His heart was racing at that moment because he knew their kiss was on the worldwide feed... live.

He didn’t know how long Michael’s lips were on his or how long they kissed, but it felt like forever.

The Ferrari driver only slowly let go of his partner but still had his arms wrapped around him.

Cameramen and journalists were staring at them, often with their mouths open.

“Let’s get out of here.” the Ferrari driver said, grabbing his boyfriend’s hand and dragging him along to his Ferrari trailer. “We will need some privacy.”

* * *

To say that everyone was stunned was maybe a bit of an understatement.

Half the paddock was going crazy while the other half was blinking while thinking about what the fuck they’d just seen on screen.

“Jonathan?”

“Yes, Murray?”

“What did we just witness?”

The former F1 driver looked outside of the commentary box into the paddock. “I think that that was a very public ‘coming out’, as I’ve been told it’s called.”

The older man scratched his head. “Usually, I have so many words to say, but I think I can say for once that I too am speechless about what happened. I… don’t believe any of our viewers ever thought that mister Michael Schumacher was in love with a _man_.”

“I believe, Murray, that that would be because we only see Formula One drivers with women. Yet, we’re approaching the twenty-first century. I think it might be time for our society to let go of ancient stereotypes and beliefs.”

“I guess that might be one way of looking at it.”

* * *

Ferrari management wasn’t exactly happy with everything that was happening around their star driver Michael Schumacher since his coming out. The man had captured international media attention by kissing his secret boyfriend, and it wasn’t always a good way.

People were speculating about the relationship. Some believed that it was a media cover since his last girlfriend left him, others thought it was a cover for pedophilia, and the 3rd group thought Michael had done it to promote gay rights.

Too many stories, but no one knew the truth.

Michael kept his mouth shut and just laughed at the rumours before shaking his head.

Todt now stood for a difficult choice: he could choose to retain Michael after 97 and risk getting replaced by someone homophobic who will kick Michael out or tell Michael now already that management doesn’t want him anymore because of his sexuality so Michael could go and find a different team to drive for.

He chose the 2nd option.

He was nervous as he approached the driver.

“You okay Jean?” the German asked.

“Depends on what you define as ‘okay’.” the team principal sighed. “I hate to bring bad news.”

“What’s the bad news?” Irvine asked.

“It turns out Ferrari management is a bit... old-fashioned in more ways than one. If I prolong Michael’s contract, I just might get replaced by a homophobe to bully you away. So, I think it might be better for your mental health to quit Ferrari after next year.” the Frenchman replied. “I didn’t want it to be this way, but this goes over my head.”

Schumacher nodded. “Well, at least you were honest about it and didn’t tell me last moment.”

“You deserve to be in Formula One.” Todt stated. “Management just consists of idiots.”

“It’s fine. At least I can now already start searching. I just might try my luck at McLaren.” the double champion said. “Dennis was rather great in the media when I came out, and I still have contacts inside Mercedes.”

“Looks like ya got yourself almost a seat there.” Eddie was smirking.

Michael smirked too. “It’s nice to be well-connected.”

“I’m sure it is.” Jean was glad that his driver took it in his stride and was optimistic about his future. He knew Michael belonged in the sport, he’d proven that at Benetton by managing to defeat Senna in 93 and then grab titles in 94 and 95.

Sadly, Ferrari management only saw a gay man, not the talent that he actually was.

He hoped Michael could find a team and get on the top again, showing the world that sexuality doesn’t define what you can or cannot do. Maybe McLaren would become strong enough to be title challengers when Michael came in.

* * *

Ron Dennis was pretty damn surprised when he got a call from Michael Schumacher to talk privately at the McLaren factory. It didn't seem urgent, but there was something going on.

The men shook hands when the double champion entered.

“Thank you for receiving me so soon after my call.” Schumacher said with a pretty wide smile.

“It’s not every day that a driver calls around to other teams and request a meeting.” the McLaren team principal stated. “Please, take a seat. Would you care for some tea?”

“I’ll have whatever you have.” the German replied as he plopped down.

“Earl Grey it is then.” Dennis said as he put the boiler on. “So, what brings you all the way over here?”

“I suppose you can still remember my uhm… very public coming out?” Michael started.

Ron nodded. “I don’t think anyone would forget.”

The double champion hummed. “Well, because I can no longer portray this heterosexual image that Ferrari management want so much, I can no longer drive for the team.”

The Brit blinked. “You’re serious?”

“As serious as I can be.”

The McLaren team principal kinda felt sorry for the driver, but he knew that politics played a huge role in certain teams, and Ferrari had a lot of internal political business. “And therefore, you are here?”

“I’m sniffing around, seeing if I can even get another contract or if I might have to say my goodbyes after next year.” the German told. “I want to stay in Formula One, but I need a team that will hire me.”

Dennis thought about it. “Why would you approach McLaren? We’re certainly not a Championship winning car at the moment.”

“You forget that I raced for Benetton for two and a half years, pulling that team towards becoming the team it was in the past two years.” Schumacher pointed out. “I’m no stranger to pulling teams from the midfield to championship-winning position. If you can give me a foundation, I can help you build.”

“That’s a whole lot of confidence.” the Brit stated.

“Sometimes, your confidence is the only thing you have left.” Michael stated.

The brunet looked over at the pictures of his two drivers.

Coulthard was one of his prized juniors, only 25 years old and with a bright future in front of him.

Blundell on the other hand… though he was still young, he wasn’t the best driver on the grid. He couldn’t even match Coulthard.

“I think I can help you with a contract.”

The double Champion smiled. “Thank you. I can’t be more grateful.”

Dennis hummed. “Next winter, we’ll talk through the details before drawing up a contract. I won’t be able to offer you as much as Ferrari does, our years in the midfield have forced us to limit a driver’s earning.”

“At this point, I don’t quite care what I earn anymore.”

“Good. Then I’ll see you in a couple of months.”


	6. Triple World Champion

Over the winter, the true nature of Ferrari management had been revealed.

They wanted heterosexual men only as their drivers, and no ‘pussies’ as they called it.

Michael then and there decided he would only race for himself and say ‘fuck the team’ more often if they wanted him to let Eddie through. He was going to show Ferrari what kind of ‘manly man’ he truly was, and fight for every bone he was thrown.

It didn’t quite matter anymore, Ferrari was kicking him out anyway no matter what he did, and his contract with McLaren was already signed.

* * *

_Monaco, 1997_

Ferrari had already announced over the winter break that Schumacher would be leaving after the ‘97 season due to a falling out with Ferrari management.

Because of it, rumors had started flying around.

Michael didn’t mind the rumors, he actually found them fun to listen to, even though most were just garbage.

It took Michael a couple of races to get his Ferrari just right enough to score massive points in Monaco, winning while his direct rivals retired. He kept it on track and was 4 points in the lead after the checked flag fell.

It was after this race that he took his lover to one of the gay bars in Monaco.

In that place you had a massive array of plugs, lube, rope, dildos, flogs... you name it, they have it.

It was perfect to experiment, and renting a room was anonymous. The privilege of Monaco.

The Ferrari driver pushed his lover on the bed, undid the jeans, knelt down, and swallowed the cockhead.

Mika was surprised by his lover’s actions, but not disappointed. He suspected that his boyfriend had practiced on the dildo he owned, as he'd found it in various weird spots over the past couple of weeks while he hadn’t used it.

The dirty blonde certainly went down on his lover like he’d sucked dick before.

The Finn moaned in appreciation and gently stroke his beloved's hair. He didn’t move, because he knew that if he did, there was a good possibility that Michael was going to choke on.

He came quicker than anticipated, probably because he hadn't been sucked off in a long time

And although he’d had rather regular sex with his boyfriend for the past 1.5 years, there were so many things they hadn’t done yet.

When the German’s lips popped off his dick, he had this dazed look on his face. “You can do anything to me with any of these toys. Tonight, you can use me how you want to use me. You are in control.”

“Thank you, for your trust.” the platinum blonde softly said. “I want you to undress for me.”

The F1 driver stripped his clothes off, standing naked in front of his boyfriend.

Mika took his time admiring his beloved’s lean but strong body. He may have mapped every imperfection, but it didn’t make it any less amazing every time he saw the other man naked. He still couldn’t believe Michael was officially his boyfriend, even if they’d been together for over one and a half years.

“I love you.” he whispered, reaching out for his lover.

The double World Champion let himself be guided by his boyfriend. He had no reason not to trust the man he’d been with for quite some time. “I love you too, Schatz.”

“How adventurous will you allow me to be?”

“Just not too much pain, and I’ll be fine.”

The Finn massaged his partner’s ass. “Are you fine with me spanking you?”

Schumi giggled like a schoolgirl. “If you want to try it, you can. I’m not stopping you.”

* * *

_Alternate Jerez_

Mika was sad that he couldn’t be at Jerez with his boyfriend, but work called.

The Jerez racing weekend was the weekend his boss at the Ravazza needed all his staff to work because it was a championship-deciding weekend, and Germany’s favorite was one of the two candidates.

But he knew he’d have his private moments with his beloved after Monday. He was already thinking about what he wanted to do with Michael once his Champion came home. It didn’t matter if he won, he was still Mika’s Champion.

They were going to celebrate their 2-year anniversary, and he was finally going to introduce Michael to his family and be officially introduced to Michael’s family.

“You look giddy.” Jason stated. “Got that special man on your mind again?”

“Do I really look that love-struck?” the Finn asked with a smile.

The slightly younger man nodded. “And it’s not just a bit… you’re really head over heels.”

The 29-year-old grinned. “Yeah… I guess I’m still very much in love.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

Mika nodded. “Of course, it is. It wouldn’t be good if I wasn’t still in love with my boyfriend after two years of being together.”

“Are you guys thinking about marriage and all that jazz?” the man of African descent asked.

The platinum blonde bit his lip. “We haven’t talked about it yet. At least, not as much as I would’ve liked, but I hope I can talk to him about it during out trip to Crete.”

“I hope I’ll see a little golden band around that finger somewhere next year.”

The Finn laughed at his colleague and shook his head. He looked at the clock. The race-build up was going to start soon, and that’s when most of their guests would come in to see it. He went to clean the tables that were still empty and remove the coffee cups of their morning guests.

He and Michael had talked about their future, but their talks had mainly covered practical things. Like whether they would sell both their properties and look for a new one or both move into Michael’s home.

They did both want kids someday, so Mika had talked to his sister if she would carry the child for them, to which she had agreed. But they hadn’t decided on how many they wanted or _when_ they plan to have children. Mika hoped to talk about all that when they were in their vacation home on Crete.

As the flow of patrons came, the staff was busy serving their drinks and get everything technologically in order to show the race.

The platinum blonde didn’t have much time to think about his lover until the start of the race. He always felt anxious when he saw those starting lights going on, because of the possible first corner accidents.

But there were none this weekend, only a few position changes in the first 100 meters to the 1st corner.

Michael took the lead of the race straight off the bat, leading his title rival around the circuit.

Everybody was watching intently, so there was very little noise over the voice of the commentators.

The Finn feverously hoped nothing bad would happen to his lover. He was pretty afraid that now he was finally happy, something would happen that would take that away from him.

Even though the last fatal crash had occurred in 1994, there still wasn’t a guarantee that everyone walked away from a crash without injuries.

When Villeneuve was closing in on Michael, you could probably hear a pin drop from across the room. Everyone was holding their breaths to see what would happen. There was just so much suspense.

That was lap 24, about half distance.

Not much later, the German driver dove into the pits for a new fuel load and a new set of tires. Everything seemed to go smooth, except that the fuel hose was stuck for like one extra second.

At least no fuel accident had happened.

The race continued on, with Villeneuve stopping for fuel and tires a couple of laps later.

It was exciting when the two cars went into turn one together and fought for a couple of corners before the Ferrari came out in the lead.

And after that, it was holding your breath until the checked flag fell. No one had control over any sort of mechanical failures, even though neither car had suffered many throughout the season.

The platinum blonde prayed that everything would be okay as he cleaned glasses and coffee cups behind the bar, not taking his eyes off of the screen for too long.

Once the flag fell, the café erupted in screams of happiness and celebration.

Mika just felt relieved. Relieved that nothing had happened, relieved that Michael could now call himself the first ‘out of the closet’ World Champion. There were so many more emotions going through him at the same time, but the relief was the strongest.

He couldn’t wait until his boyfriend was home.

* * *

_FIA Prize Giving_

Dressed in black tuxedos, the gay pair left the apartment to drive to the Prize Giving ceremony.

Michael drove his boyfriend in his Ferrari which had been given to him after signing the 2-year deal for ‘96 and ‘97.

It certainly impressed the girls, but it was also perfect to impress boys.

At least, his boyfriend liked the car.

Mika looked stunning in his suit and with his medium long hair slicked back. He was just as handsome as any famous movie star, maybe even more.

He looked very fuckable.

The Ferrari driver however knew he had to keep it down at least until they got back. Public sex was prohibited in France and sex in a bathroom wasn’t very hygienic.

The pair arrived in style and walked into the hall while holding hands.

The cameras flashed, but they only had eyes for each other and looked just as much in love as any heterosexual couple walking the carpet.

The double champion wanted to show his gay partner off to the rest of the world. He didn’t care anymore about the heterosexual image he was supposed to portray, or at least the one Ferrari wanted. But he was certain of a contract with McLaren, it was signed and filed.

And well, the people of Great Britain didn’t care about your sexuality anymore. That was a plus.

Once inside the building, Michael kissed his boyfriend’s cheek. “Why don’t we get a drink first?”

“Yes, that’s a perfect plan.” and the lovers went to the bar to order their first drinks for the night.

At the bar, there were quite some drivers with their spouses or girlfriends.

They didn't look out of place among them.

The Champion handed his boyfriend their drinks. “I’ll get my parents' and Ralf’s too, you can already take your seat, Schatz.”

“Of course, sweetheart.” and the pair shared another kiss.

As the new triple World Champion was waiting for those drinks, his ex approached.

Internally, the former Ferrari driver growled in frustration but didn't show. “Corinna.”

“You’re making the biggest mistake of your life.”

Schumi groaned. _‘Here we go again.’_ and he turned towards her. “I don’t think it’s up to you with what I’m doing with my life. Also, who are you to say that I am making a mistake?”

“You know that dating a man is wrong.” the woman stated as if it were a fact. “You’re throwing away your bright future at Ferrari for... that ugly faggot.”

Michael's eyes narrowed.

“He’s not worth your time.” Corinna stated. “You know he can't give you what you want.”

“Well, Corinna, there are so many things in this world that allow same-sex couples to have a child. You’d be amazed by the options in Finland. Natural conception isn't the only way these days.”

Then, the drinks for his family arrived.

“Looks like I have to leave.” the triple champion then looked at his ex’s dress. “That’s a very ugly dress. But I hope Heinz-Herald likes it!” and he left with the drinks. He was going to enjoy this night.

* * *

The fact that Michael was an F1 World Champion made it possible for them to travel in a private jet to their holiday destination.

Crete was the destination for many Europeans, for those who could afford to go there.

Luckily, they’d hired a private cabin near a private strip of beach where they could relax. And that was where they were now: with towels on the sand.

Or at least, Mika was sprawled out on his back on the towels, taking in as much sun as possible while Michael sat under sunscreen in a beach bed reading a magazine.

The triple Champion smiled softly at the man he was in love with. Not many people had made him feel like Mika had in the time they’d been together, and he was amazed at how strong he felt.

It was scary, but beautiful at the same time.

In the brightness of the sun, Mika’s hair glowed like gold and the beams somehow accentuated his lover’s sculpted body. It truly was a sight to see, and certainly one he wanted to see forever. It was beautiful.

The Finn looked at his partner while the sun shone in his eyes and smiled. “Why don’t you join me here?”

“And block the sun shining down on you? Nah, I’m content with drinking in what I’m seeing.”

The platinum blonde blew him a kiss before turning on his belly as he kept watching his boyfriend. He shortly closed his eyes and opened them again.

“I love you.” Michael said, sighing in happiness as he leaned back into his chair

“As I love you, sweetheart.”

* * *

_{Unknown POV}_

It had become somewhat public knowledge that Michael Schumacher had gone on a vacation to Greece with his boy toy, leaving many young women heartbroken.

I was on a quest to find out about this boy toy, and what was so special about him.

Then, I heard giggles. I climbed on the rocks to see, and that’s when I saw _them_.

Schumacher was dominating the kiss with his male partner.

That male partner was certainly _not_ skinny, as the man had quite some muscle on his arms. He had shining platinum blonde hair and soft but still masculine facial features, which were visible once the kiss stopped. He was handsome in his own way, even if mainstream media wouldn’t classify him as traditionally handsome. But certainly, no one would turn the attention of this man away if they became the object of their affection.

The triple champion was certainly no idiot, even if it was weird to let so many attractive ladies slip for this particular man.

The platinum blonde was more muscled than the F1 driver, so perhaps Schumi was one of those men who felt more masculine by sexually dominating a stronger appearing male compared to themselves.

Or perhaps he was actually gay but portrayed a bisexual image to make sure he wasn't fully excommunicated in the F1 world.

Whatever reason it was, he was intimate with this pretty handsome boyfriend of his.


	7. Move to McLaren

_‘The McLaren Formula One team have strengthened their bond with engine supplier Mercedes by signing triple World Champion Michael Schumacher, who was backed by Mercedes in his junior career. This move can signal a golden age for the Woking-based team, as the German has been able to pull teams from the midfield to a championship-winning position._

_The news that the World Champion moved teams after winning the championship for the Maranello team, came as a huge surprise to most in the sporting world. But many journalists have already speculated that mister Schumacher was forced away by Ferrari management. If that rumour is true, we all have to thank Ron Dennis for keeping Schumacher on the grid for another 2 years.’_

* * *

Australia 1998... his first race in silver after 2 years in red. Michael was excited.

David was a nice teammate to work with, very much like a gentle oversized teddy bear, and did not care about his teammate’s sexuality. He only asked if he was practicing safe sex.

But you could ask any sexually active person that question. Not just gay couples.

“This suit makes my shoulders look broader.” the triple champion stated as he looked into the mirror. “Or is that just my weird perspective?”

“Nah, it’s these edges.” the Scot pointed at the similar ones on his own suit. “Your boyfriend might like to see ya like that. I know my girl does.”

“Well, I’m certainly taking him with me to some races in Europe.” the former Ferrari driver said. “Let’s go out. I’m pretty sure the press is dying to see me in this.”

As soon as the hospitality door opened, the pair was confronted by a sea of journalists with flashy cameras who all wanted a glimpse of the triple champion in his new colours.

“Man, I feel like an exotic animal.” the German grunted.

“To them, you’ve always been.” DC said.

The teammates just walked into the paddock towards the pitlane in their overalls as cameras were swarming them... until McLaren PR-ladies shooed them away as they got near to the pits.

While approaching, Schumi saw his former teammate Eddie. He waved at the Northern Irishman, who waved right back. Yet his mood soured when he saw the guy Ferrari hired in his place.

Mika fucking Salo.

Michael just rolled his eyes and got to the McLaren pit box. He was ready to defend his title.

* * *

It was after the free practice sessions that things really got heated.

The McLaren drivers were just discussing the specifications of their car before Eddie came to say hello and talk about his first day officially back in the car.

“I don't know what they did, but the car feels as slow as a Minardi.” Irvine stated. “It’s still good in

a straight line... but I guess people have been slacking since you left the team.”

“As much as I would’ve wanted to stay, the guys up high wanted me gone.” Michael told.

“I know. I heard the threats towards Todt.”

There was a snort, coming from Salo. “C’mon Eddie, don’t waste your time on those buggers.”

The brunet just rolled his eyes.

The triple champion looked straight in the eyes of his replacement. “Maybe, Salo, you should be reminded of the fact that I’ve got career destroying dirt on you.”

The Finn’s nostrils flared.

“I don’t want to use it, but I will if you leave me no choice.” his tone was ice cold.

“You wouldn’t.” the older driver spat.

“Mark my words, Salo. If he’s angry enough with you, he’ll spill everything.”

The former Tyrell driver stomped away.

The Northern Irishman looked confused. “Did I miss something?”

“I don’t know what it was about either.” DC said, looking at his new teammate. “Care to explain?”

“Let’s just say, I’m currently dating his ex.” the dirty blonde revealed.

In Coulthard, it clicked immediately while Eddie’s brain needed a couple of extra seconds before he too realized what his former teammate was going on about.

“Salo... is gay?” it was clear that the man from Newtownards was confused about that info.

“Gay, bisexual, I don’t know.” Schumi shrugged. “I just know that he fucked and dated an openly gay man.”

David whistled. “Yeah. Goddamn, if that gets out Ferrari has an even bigger image problem.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Irvine snorted. He turned back to his former teammate. “By the way, did I really see a glittery rainbow flag on the right side of your helmet? Or is that an illusion?”

* * *

Salo threw a glass at the wall of his hotel room. It shattered and fell on the floor.

Everywhere he went, his former ex could cause him all the trouble in the world... especially now he was openly a couple with triple champion Michael Schumacher, a man still loved by the world over even now he has a gay lover.

At least Hak was happy.

His ex had been beaming in the pictures while posing with his new partner at the FIA prize giving.

With Michael, his previous lover didn’t have to hide away from the world since the German had decided to show his boyfriend to the world and practise quite some PDA.

Salo couldn’t help but imagine them having sex. He still remembered how wild his ex could be in bed, how rough he liked it. Would Schumacher be the stallion Hak needed? Or was he a more boring bed partner?

At least his former boyfriend could be open with his new boyfriend. Schumacher had been a double champion when he kissed Hak in public, and managed to take the championship last year, making it 3. He had nothing more to prove to the world of racing.

The Finn living in Estonia still had to prove himself, and he hoped he could do it this year. He was now in a pretty good car that was capable to fight for the podium positions.

He hoped he could challenge for the title, but he had to be consistent throughout the season. And that was something he knew was Schumacher’s strength. Hopefully, that McLaren wasn’t as good, and he’d have the possibility to grab that world title.

* * *

Out of the 1st 6 races, Michael managed to win 5 of them. The only race he didn’t win was at Imola, when his gearbox failed on him and he was forced to park his McLaren at the side of the track. After his win in Monaco, he suffered an engine failure on the second restart in Canada but won at Magny-Cours two weeks later

Right now, they were in Great Britain, basically every team’s home race.

They had finally come to the conclusion that they wanted children together. Before the race at Silverstone, they visited a fertility clinic in Finland with Nina to consult with doctors and hopefully get some appointments set for the start of the procedure.

They were hopeful that they would be able to have a child to raise in the near future, and that perhaps more children could follow if Nina was up for it.

In the paddock, Michael could always be seen holding hands with his boyfriend or taking photos with fans.

Being popular had slight downsides, because of constant scrutiny in the media, but he loved all his fans dearly. But he loved children the most, because children didn’t judge you for whose hand you were holding. He mainly wanted to be treated normally.

Never in his life though would he regret kissing his boyfriend in front of those cameras almost 2 years ago. He didn’t believe in keeping a relationship like that a secret.

* * *

_1998 Italian Grand Prix of Monza_

{Mika Salo’s POV}

I had failed my goals.

I had not become an F1 champion like I’d hoped I could be, to return home with that trophy.

But precious Schumi had beaten me.

Today, here in Italy, he’d stolen the crown away from me.

The huge TV screen showed him being thrown in the air by the McLaren engineers celebrating their first driver’s Championship since Ayrton Senna’s last.

It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Of course, anyone would be happy with winning the Championship, but it wasn’t me.

Then, Schumacher kissed my ex once more in front of the camera.

It wasn’t just a little peck either, it was a full-on passionate snog.

I turned my head and stomped away to my trailer.

I still can’t handle seeing my ex with someone else, even though I know it’s the best for him. I still want him to be mine, even though I know it’s impossible. My heart still wants him, but I can’t. I can’t ever be with him again.

I sat down on my bed, disappointment running through me.

I hadn’t been consistent enough throughout this season, I hadn’t won enough races. I have to pull myself together and be the man that Ferrari needs me to be: a serious title contender.

* * *

{Mika Häkkinen’s POV}

I smiled when my boyfriend got his 4th Formula One title.

I knew he wanted to prove to the world that being gay didn’t change anything about your talent or raw speed, and he wanted to make Ferrari regret kicking him out by kicking their asses.

And well, he was certainly doing that at this moment.

Michael knew I would always support him, for however long he wanted to race in Formula One. The only thing I wanted was for him to return home to me and our future children.

I’ve known for a while now that I want to marry my boyfriend the second it will be allowed anywhere in the world. Whichever country will legalize gay marriage first, we’ll get married there.

I looked at the promise ring on my finger, the very ring Michael bought for me after our vacation to Crete where we talked about our future. We both wanted the same, but we definitely shouldn’t hurry too much.

We’ll have our first child in May next year if nothing happens to the baby, but after that, we’ll take our time being a little family before even thinking about having more.

But I have to say, this was an amazing 2-year anniversary of a coming out.

* * *

**_MICHAEL SCHUMACHER MATCHES ALAIN PROST_ **

_By winning the 1998 Italian Grand Prix, German F1 driver Michael Schumacher equaled former Ferrari driver Alain Prost, grabbing his 4 th World Title. And there is no stopping Schumacher just yet, as he has another year in his McLaren contract with the option to extend it for 2 more years. Perhaps he can equal Fangio in the near future._

_Schumacher is the first gay World Champion, which we know of._

_Of course, rumours go around when you are among the more famous names in the sport. It’s been rumoured for many years that perhaps Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger had something going on, as well as Ascari and Fangio. None of these rumours were ever confirmed, and it is likely that they never will._

_However, all of these were in the past, a time where certain things like homosexuality were never spoken about, especially not in a more religious household._

_The future seems much brighter now McLaren has openly backed and signed a gay driver. There is hope in the growing LGBT community that motorsport will become more acceptive of them, and that more LGBT individuals will join in the hope of following in Schumacher’s footsteps._


End file.
